Acme Packet (APKT)

[Not_Bill_Oneil]

No problem Fish...

I'm glad you sound open to looking up Carter's book. It's sometimes hard to offer suggestions without sounding condescending. The only other thing I would offer regarding your reply, is I like to lean more conservative with an IRA, more towards the blue chip value issues.

If you find his book helpful, here are some others for later - all great reads with invaluable information on the markets (not in any particular order):

How to Make Money in Stocks, by Bill O'Neil (also check out all of his other books, get an IBD subscription, and Daily Graphs too).
Tools and Tactics for the Master Trader, by Oliver Velez & Greg Capra (check out their recommended reading list in their book too).
Any and all books by Fontanills (to get you thinking about options while also learning more about stocks).
The Master Swing Trader, Farley
Option Volatility & Pricing, Natenberg
Real Money, Cramer
How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market, Darvas
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, LeFevre
Any book you like on TA (that is right for your level and easy to understand for you - some are pretty dry and/or rely on a good prior understanding),
a good starter is "Getting Started in Technical Analysis", Schwager.

To see what really goes on behind the curtains, check out:
Cramer's "Confessions of a Street Addict"
and then Dan Reingold's "Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst"
and last but not least "The Smartest Guys in the Room" (about the Enron debacle).

These are just a few favorites of mine. They will lead you onto many others if you're interested.

There is a lot of other info online like you mentioned, and in the form of real-time trading rooms, sites, newsletters, seminars, etc. - some that are linked with some of the people above.

GL & GT.